NIST has developed the first-ever Standard Reference Material (SRM) 3452 to measure the conversion of heat to electrical energy at high temperatures. This new material, made of boron-doped polycrystalline silicon-germanium, allows scientists to validate instruments and compare data across laboratories, supporting research and development of thermoelectric materials and devices.
Thermoelectric materials convert heat directly into electricity, with applications in waste heat recovery from automotive engines and industrial furnaces, power generation for spacecraft, and battery replacement in wearable devices. The global waste heat recovery market is expected to reach $66 billion annually, with thermoelectric generator sales tripling in the last four years. However, unreliable measurements have hindered the discovery and commercialization of new, high-efficiency materials.
SRM 3452 complements the existing SRM 3451, which covers low-temperature measurements, providing a comprehensive range of certified reference materials for Seebeck coefficient measurements from 10 K to 900 K.
Keywords: Seebeck coefficient, Thermoelectric material, Standard Reference Material
